Lunch
by OSUSprinks
Summary: ADMM A sequel of sorts as it usually is to my fic Breakfast!


_A/N: I love being on Winter Break! It's a great thing. This is dedicated to pinkie/landslide. Without her, it wouldn't have been written! Thanks to everyone for reading and for reviewing my stories! It means so much!_

_Disclaimer: If I owned it, you can bet we would already know Min and Albus were together! But sadly I don't and we don't. _

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_fanfic100 Challenge Prompt #57_

**Lunch, a sequel of sorts (as it usually is) to Breakfast**

Albus looked down at his full plate, then to the empty seat beside him, and back to his untouched lunch once again. Even his favorite lemon meringue pie had lost its appeal. He was too worried to eat. His dear wife had been acting strange the last few days. That morning when he'd tried to ask her what was wrong, Minerva had, most uncharacteristically, burst into tears. When he had finally calmed her sobs, she had refused to answer him then, asking if he had a few minutes after lunch that she could meet with him.

A few minutes after lunch so she could _meet with him_? Albus couldn't remember the last time Minerva had felt the need to schedule an appointment with him. Usually if something were bothering her, she would burst into his office with no notice and tell him what has on her mind. He had always appreciated that she saw him as an equal, not her superior in any way. She hadn't made an appointment with him like this since she was a student!

Albus realized the Great Hall was starting to empty. He could finally leave. As he made his way to their rooms, he began to think of reasons Minerva would be so upset. She had been a bit moody the last week or so, but he hadn't really thought much of it. What if she were ill? No, surely he would have noticed that. He turned down the hallway to the staff rooms as he thought over the previous week. She had been rather secretive lately, in the past three days she'd had two sudden engagements and when asked about them, she had changed the subject. Now that he reflected on the matter, he hadn't seen a lot of Minerva in the last few days and when they were together she was very tired although he knew she was sleeping fine at night. It almost seemed that she was avoiding him.

As Albus entered the passageway to their rooms, a horrible thought hit him. It still surprised him everyday that Minerva could be attracted to him. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty and most significantly, she was young. What if she had finally realized what he had known all along, that she was much too far out of his league for her to be happy with him? What if she didn't want him anymore?

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Her free period was almost half over before Minerva had gathered her courage enough to speak to Albus. She was suddenly glad that Poppy, Rolanda, and Pomona had offered to cover her afternoon classes. She just couldn't face her students like this. She'd gone over it with the girls twice this week and she knew it was time she told Albus. She just wished she could predict what he would say, how he would react, what he would want to do! She couldn't believe the position she had found herself in; she'd broken a promise to Albus. How was she going to tell him? She still didn't know.

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She entered their study, unnoticed at first. Albus sat on the small forest green sofa, his head in his hands. She could just barely make out the slight shaking of his back. He was crying.

She sat next to him on the settee, taking his hands in hers. "Albus?" she asked softly, clearly wondering what had happened, her own worries forgotten in her concern for him.

Albus lifted his head to reveal crystal blue eyes filled with tears and not a twinkle to be found. "I figured it out Minerva. You don't have to tell me. I know."

Minerva felt all of her energy leave her as she collapsed into the corner of the sofa. He knew.

"I'm so sorry Albus. I didn't mean for this to happen." She began to cry. "I had hoped you might be happy about this."

"Happy?" Albus fell on his knees in front of her, not noticing the cold, hard stone beneath him. "How could you ever think this would make me happy?" Minerva began to sob harder at that. He squeezed her hands and leaned down to bestow a small kiss on the palm of each. He couldn't believe this could possibly be the last time they would be together like this. "Min, I have to ask. I have to know. I'm not young and I have always known you were much too good for me. But I t-thought you were happy with me, with-with us. Was it something I did?"

Minerva looked down at Albus unable to conceal her confusion even as her eyes filled with more tears. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…I must know…know why you…" he buried his head in her lap, the rest of his words lost in his heavy sobs and her thick skirts.

Minerva was heartbroken. She had expected Albus to be shocked, worried, angry even, but never this. She brushed his soft hair out of his face, leaning down to kiss his temple and cheek while whispering soft words of comfort before starting to explain herself.

"Albus. I am so sorry. Poppy says we are about six weeks along. That was when she was on holiday and I had to get the new dose of my potion in town. I was sorry it happened, but," she began to cry again now, "Albus I'm happy too. I wish you could be happy as well."

Albus hadn't been listening to her words, only the soft, sad tone of her voice as he thought about all he was losing. It wasn't until he heard the word potion that he began to listen. He lifted his head to look her in the eyes, taking in her sad eyes, damp cheeks, and flushed complexion.

"Potion?"

"Yes. My contraceptive potion. Poppy thinks it must have been the wrong strength."

"What does a potion have to do with leaving me?"

"Leaving you? You thought I was leaving you? Why would you think that?"

"You were so withdrawn and-Wait," her words suddenly dawned on him. "You mean to say you _aren't_ leaving me?"

"Albus I may be a Gryffindor, but I'm not brave enough or insane enough to think I can raise the newest Dumbledore on my own. I don't have that much energy."

"What?" Albus was suddenly alert, unable to believe what he thought he was hearing.

"I'm pregnant, about six weeks along. That's what I wanted to talk about."

"We're going to be parents?" At her nod, Albus let out a whoop of joy. In a flash he was on his feet with Minerva in his arms. Spinning them around the room, he began to laugh and cry. "I'm going to be a father! Oh Min, I love you so much!"

Minerva began to laugh along with him. "I love you too, but I may be sick all over you if you don't put me down."

Albus quickly and carefully put her on her feet before leading her over to settee and having her sit down. "Are you okay? Should I do something? Do you need Poppy? I didn't hurt you or the baby, did I?" His rush of questions and sudden mood change from joyful to concerned made Minerva smile.

"I'm fine Albus. We're fine." She laid a soft hand on her still flat stomach for reassurance. "I am a bit hungry though. I was so worried about telling you, I couldn't eat my lunch."

"But Minerva, you must keep your strength up. You are eating for two now! You and our little girl can't miss meals."

"Little girl? I thought you would want a son." Minerva smiled sweetly at the image that had been developing in her mind the last few days, of a young Albus, Dumbledore nose and all.

"No, I think we shall have a little girl and she will be an absolute beauty, just like mother." Taking her hand and kissing it, he continued, "Min, I know we decided when we got married that it wouldn't be safe to have children, but I am so glad this happened." He leaned down to leave a lingering kiss on her forehead before summoning a house elf.

As he began to order lunch for the both of them, Minerva reflected on her life with Albus. How could he ever think she could leave him? He was so good, not just to her, but to everyone. He had a heart the size of Hogwarts and she was thrilled to know it was filled with love for her. He needed to know that she was lucky one in their marriage.

Albus sat down next to her on the couch, pulling her feet into his lap. As he began to remove her shoes and massage her feet, Minerva felt tears welling in her eyes. She turned around so she could lay with her head in his lap and her legs resting on the arm of the sofa. Looking up at him, she placed a hand on each of his cheeks.

"I need to tell you something else, darling."

"Is it good or bad?"

"Good, I hope. Albus," she began tracing his facial features with her fingertips, "I love you. In fact I can barely remember a time when I didn't love you. You are the only man I could ever love. I hope you realize that and won't doubt me or us again." By now Minerva was wiping tears from Albus' cheeks.

"I promise to never again doubt us, my love."

Albus leaned down to kiss Minerva as lunch appeared on the coffee table before them. As Minerva deepened the kiss, it was all she could do not to laugh. By the simultaneous moan deep in his throat and grumble of his stomach, it was obvious Albus was rather hungry for two very different types of refreshment. As fingers began to search for hair pins and hands began to fumble with robes, Minerva's last conscious thought was that she must skip lunch more often.

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_A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed. OSUSprinks_


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